Insurance and Credit

eToro, based out of Limassol Cyprus, is a relatively new online forex broker with an interesting twist that helps new traders come up to speed fast. Beginner forex traders will be entertained as they learn via an ingenious graphical user interface. Many have difficulty at first understanding how forex works and this platform does a good job of explaining the process via a video game like interface.

There are four trading areas in the eToro lobby. Forex Marathon uses characters representing currencies that compete in a forex race. For instance, the US Dollar is a farmer, the Japanese Yen a sumo wrestler and the Euro a European businessman. The idea is you choose a currency to buy, pick the currencies to compete against, select an amount and click to open the trade. In a few clicks the marathon comes to life on your computer screen and shows how your currency/runner is doing against the rest of the field.

The Dollar Trend is next in the lobby and here you basically choose whether the US dollar will rise or fall against other currencies or your choosing. Graphically its the same as Forex Marathon where the currencies race against each other this time in the form of coins.

The Globe Trader is the next area in the lobby. After making a selection youll see a wire signal that represents your trade as well as competing countries on the trade arena map. An info box above the wire will show how your trade is doing from a profit standpoint as well as provide a detailed breakdown in the map.

Finally, Forex Match is a graphical tug-of-war between currencies representative of your trade.

An overall theme in the eToro platform is community. You can compete against others in the aforementioned forex games with cash prizes awarded to the champion. The Championship & Chat area tracks high scores similar to a video game and users can chat with each other in real time.

The above illustrates an innovative forex learning tool, but eToro has an area where one can trade for real. You can fund your account via credit card or wire transfer. With a credit card the minimum is $50 and maximum is $1,000 with a $5,000 monthly cap. Wire transfer minimum is $500, max of $5,000 and a cap of $5,000.

eToro is more of an experience than your garden variety online forex broker. It teaches like no other but is layered over a solid live platform. Open a free demo account and find out for yourself how fun forex trading can really be.

As a forex trader, you should be aware of the role played by the interest rate changes in the general economic and investment climate. You should know that interest rates are an essential part of investment decisions and can drive currency markets as well as the stock and commodities markets in either direction. After the unemployment figures, Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) rate decisions are the second largest currency market moving release.

The impact of the interest rate changes not only have short term consequences but also have long term impact on the currency markets. One Central Banks decision can affect more than a single currency pair in the interconnected forex markets.

In currency trading, an interest rate differential is the difference between the base currency interest rate and the counter currency interest rate. In the pair, EUR/USD, EUR is the base currency and USD is the counter currency. The interest rate differential for the EUR/USD pair will be the difference between the Euro interest rate and the US Dollar interest rate.

Understanding the relationship between the interest rate differentials and the currency pairs can be very profitable for you as a forex trader. In addition to the Central Banks overnight interest rate decisions, expected future overnight rates as well the expected timing for the interest rate changes can be crucial to the currency pair movements.

The reason why it is profitable is that international investors like hedge funds, big banks and institutional investors are yield seekers. They actively keep on shifting funds from the low yield assets to high yield assets.

Interest rate differentials are considered to be the leading indicators for currency prices. London Inter Bank Offer Rate and the 10 year government bond yields are usually used as leading indicators of currency movements.

Lets take an example, suppose the Australian 10-year government bond yield is 5.25%. The US 10-year government bond yield is 1.75%. The yield spread in this case would be 350 basis points in favor of the Australian Dollar.

Suppose the Australian government raised its interest rate by 25 basis points. The 10 year Australian government bond yield would also appreciate to 5.50%. Now, the new yield spread is 375 basis points in favor of AUD. The AUD will also be expected to appreciate against USD.

The general rule of thumb used by professional traders is that when a yield spread increases in favor of a certain currency that currency is expected to appreciate against the other currency in the pair. This is important information for you as a trader. Interest rate data is available on Bloomberg. Keep track of the currencies in the currency pairs that you trade with that data.

If you own a membership to an auto club, you have the peace of mind that comes with knowing help is there if you ever break down on the side of the road. However, you may not realize that you can also get a variety of insurance products through the club, often at a discounted price. This is just one of the many advantages to having an auto club membership, so before you purchase your next insurance product, find out what the options are through the club.

Auto Club Membership Is Not Insurance

First, remember that your auto club is not the same as car insurance. The auto club will provide emergency roadside assistance and a variety of other helpful tools to you as a driver, but it is not insurance. You need to purchase automotive insurance outside of your auto club membership in order to drive legally.

Auto Club Members Can Get Discounts on Insurance Products

While membership to your auto club does not equal car insurance, you can use your membership to get car insurance, sometimes at a deeply discounted rate. Because the auto clubs have so many members, they are able to partner with insurance providers to get excellent rates for their members. Personal insurance through the auto club is an additional expense on top of membership, but many members are able to enjoy the discounted insurance premiums.

Types of Insurance Available

The types of insurance that you can purchase through your auto club will vary from state to state and club to club. Most auto clubs offer auto insurance, since it is almost a given that their members will need this coverage. Some offer homeowner’s insurance as well. The homeowner’s coverage is typically underwritten by an organization other than the auto club, but is offered at exclusive club member only prices. Life insurance is another insurance product almost all auto clubs can offer.

A few select clubs offer short-term medical insurance and health insurance for students. These are not intended to replace traditional health insurance coverage, but are rather designed for those individuals who cannot get traditional coverage because they are unemployed, not offered benefits, or pursuing a degree.

Getting Insurance

Getting insurance through your auto club involves the same steps you would use when getting insurance any other way. You will start by contacting your auto club for an insurance quote. You will then compare the quoted price to other insurance products you have inquired about through traditional avenues. You will choose the policy that has the most affordable premium combined with the best coverage and apply for it.

While you will likely find that your auto club has the best rates, this is not a given. Take the time to shop around, because there may be a more affordable policy out there. However, always compare the price and the coverage, because some of the cheapest options have the worst coverage. You want to have insurance that covers you sufficiently, even if you have to pay a little more for it. When getting quotes on your insurance policies, always ask about the coverage as well as the price so that you can compare like products.